Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

A Santa Barbara area Pinot. Deep Ruby color with aromas of red fruits, forest floor and spice, spent about 15 months in French oak (50% new). On the palate flavors of cherry and raspberry with cedar notes, cinnamon spice and earthy herbs. Full-bodied, fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, oak and an earthy character. Nice! Drinking well now! — 5 months ago

Martinez

9.0

Good Pomerol from one of the appellation’s largest estates, with around 12 hectares on the southern part of the Pomerol plateau, in an area known for its iron-rich clay subsoils. Known locally as “crasse de fer” or iron dirt, this type of subsoils have a high content of iron-oxide, which gives Pomerol wines their characteristic aromatic richness. It was also the inspiration for the estate’s name (“taille fer” translates to “carve the iron”). 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc, aged for 12 months in oak barrel (40% new). Aromas of dark fruit, plums, chocolate and earthy notes. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated. Noticeable tannins. — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Badia a Coltibuono, or "The Abbey of good harvest," lies in the heart of the Chianti Classico area, between Florence and Siena. The Abbey is approximately 2000 years old. Ruby with aromas of black fruit and earthy spice nose. On the palate blackberry and cherry with savory tannins, good balance, noting black pepper and cacao. Medium finish ending with earthy mineral notes. Good now only short term aging benefit. — 4 years ago

Makoto Someya

9.1

16 years. 5 hours decanting today. Complexity. Matured. Black currant, tobacco. Acidity is a bit high in this area. 2007 @4811, F wine. , 231106-231215 — 6 months ago

John Bratincevic

8.9

NOSE: lemon curd, chalk, straw, white toast with a little butter. Old apple?

TASTE: white grape, toast, nice acidity, mild aged cheese nuttiness - like a young manchego. It’s pretty good, but the white grape taste puts me off. Even for this “super high value” champagne ($25 in my area), I prefer cheaper cremants. 89. — a year ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Gavi comes from small growing area in northwestern Italy located north of Genoa on steep slopes of Ligurian Apennines. White label is La Scolca’s everyday wine, an alternative to their “Black Label”. From Cortese di Gavi grape (younger vines), pale yellow with delicate aromas of stone & citrus fruits. Palate, with extended lees aging shows rich apple & lemon flavors, nutty notes, good mouthfeel. Crisper than ‘17, medium finish, vivid acidity ending with a mineral character. Nice! — 2 years ago

Jeremy.Buss

9.1

A very early Fathers Day celebration brought out this bottle. In our area this is not an easy wine to get and so I try to limit for special occasions. I’ve had multiple vintages and while the 2013 is good, it might actually be at its peak compared to earlier years. Very balanced tannins, hints of leather, tobacco, dark but muted berries and a medium finish. This drank very smoothly and that might be due to the 45 minutes to hour decanting that opened it up. Like supporting MX wine and this is a good one to try. — 4 years ago

Joe Fischer

8.9

Great everyday drinker! A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Merlot. Aromas of Cranberry, Cherry, and Plum. On the bud, leather, cedar, and stewed fruit. It has a nice finish. If you’re in the Boise area, be sure to visit the friendly team at Hat Ranch. — 9 months ago

Brandon Boesch

9.3

Really nice. Definitely Sonoma coast with a bit of Russian river influence. Strawberries, baking spices galore, decomposing redwood forest, some cherry and maybe a bit of plum. It’s great but similar to a lot of other Pinots from that area. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

See previous notes. They still apply. All the hallmarks of modern Australian Chardonnay. Nutty leesy aromas with rock melon notes - from the cool climate district near the city of Orange. A light to medium weight palate. Proving that the Orange/Tumbaramba district is a great area for cool climate Chardonnay with Penfolds sourcing fruit from here for their top Chardonnays like Yattarna. Also Phillip Shaw (former winemaker for Rosemount when they were famous) has set up a winery here under his own name. — 3 years ago